While watching the Alabama v. LSU game last night I was listening to the game's play-by-call and color commentary being espoused. Then I heard this and was struck as to how there are correlations between Alabama's winning recipe and the bigger arena of success in Education.
Nick Saban took the helm at the University of Alabama's football program in 2007 and they have had three national championships (2009, 2011 and 2012). Prior to 2007, Alabama's last national championship was in 1992 under coach Gene Stallings.
How did Nick Saban create a formula for producing championship teams? What was the recipe for success? Coach Saban calls it the "The Process". He helps players to "forget about the score and how the opposing team is playing. He tells his players to play the best they can, with as much effort they can and with a great attitude. Just let the score happen."
What? Don't worry about the score on your ACT? What don't worry about the final exam you are about to take? Eliminate test anxiety and focus on learning all you can, the best you can and with a great attitude? Heavens what a way to play football or to learn in a classroom.
We know that when students feels they are safe and have control over their environment they will have a higher level of motivation and a lower level of anxiety. When the focus is on performing your best for every lesson then they can let go of the score for each lesson and concentrate on the summation or the end game. We aren't afraid to try again and again. We are focusing on the overall win.
As educators we need to help our students by reducing the focus on seeing what score they received on each assignment and rather focus on answering "Did you do your best?" "How's your attitude?" "How can I help you to achieve your best?" "Try again." "Let it roll off and go for it again."
I now have a better understanding of "Roll Tide" after watching and listening to last night's game.
It's not "roll" over your opponent or "roll" up the score. No, it's let the mistakes, the frustrations, and the lack of control on the playing field "roll" off your back. Learn from those experiences and get back into the game to play with all your heart as intensively as possible and enjoying the process of success.
This is so true in business, life and in education that a positive attitude, self-control and intense efforts will lead to better outcomes.
Also, don't stop with one win or one winning season. Complacency doesn't win National Championships.
As educators we need to always be looking for ways of improving and teach those skills of reflection and correction to our students. We all have to learn the skills for continuous improvement. It was a part of the successful businesses I was a part of before I became an educator and now that I'm in education it should be even more important for me, the educator, to teach the students to be always looking for ways they can improve their process of learning and improving their study skills, their attitudes and thus their successes each day.
Roll Tide!
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Note: I'm not a graduate of Alabama, but I do know people who are. We all learn by what we see and what we hear. LSU is also a great school with a great team. This is not about football, it's about life. For some of my friends those (football & life) are inseparable. To them this post is dedicated.
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